LARF PAR

I'm using my new Apogee MQ 500 to check the PAR on my HLG 550 v2 Rspec in my 4x4 tent. Getting nice reading at the top of canopy (1200-1400) but can see the falloff at lower levels.

My question what is the minimal PAR necessary for a LARF to become a keep-able bud. Figuring that in places where the light is just too weak I may be better off just removing the larfy buds in early flower stage and send the energy elsewhere.

bsett said:

... My question what is the minimal PAR necessary for a LARF to become a keep-able bud. Figuring that in places where the light is just too weak I may be better off just removing the larfy buds in early flower stage and send the energy elsewhere ...

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That's a good plan. But my 2 cents ...

Instead of looking to PAR/PPFD levels to determine what will be LARF and what will be good bud, I recommend that you let the plant show you in it's own way. Just let the plant do her flower stretch and you will start to see which ones will become the stronger branches. Around the middle of Week 4, the bigger branches will have nice tops forming and you will see which sucker branches below the main canopy that will be crowded out. Those sucker branches can can be snipped right off.

That will help divert the plants energy into growing better top shelf bud - and it will allow for better air flow around the bottom of the plant.

StareCase said:

That's a good plan. But my 2 cents ...

Instead of looking to PAR/PPFD levels to determine what will be LARF and what will be good bud, I recommend that you let the plant show you in it's own way. Just let the plant do her flower stretch and you will start to see which ones will become the stronger branches. Around the middle of Week 4, the bigger branches will have nice tops forming and you will see which sucker branches below the main canopy that will be crowded out. Those sucker branches can can be snipped right off.

That will help divert the plants energy into growing better top shelf bud - and it will allow for better air flow around the bottom of the plant.

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Yeah you'er right and that's what I have been doing but after spending $600 on my new toy just what to find a way to play with it

bsett said:

Yeah you'er right and that's what I have been doing but after spending $600 on my new toy just what to find a way to play with it

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Try defoliation

Here is a pic of my White Sunshine just starting 3rd week of flower. SCROG canopy didn't come out as flat as it could have and am going with less defoliation but went heavy last time so want to see the difference it makes.

Bud development is coming along nicely so I'm pleased with that.

bsett said:

My question what is the minimal PAR necessary for a LARF to become a keep-able bud

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Somewhere around 700 umols is where you start to get good product.

Renfro said:

Somewhere around 700 umols is where you start to get good product.

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Thanks I've read your grow journals and have the upmost respect.

Some strains will react differently with low light levels.

I like to classify strains into low light and high light categories. Some strains really don't want really bright light. They get chlorosis on the tips of the tops much easier than other strains that relish the intense 1200 umol lighting. Not always, but often it's sativas that love intense light and indicas that prefer less intense light.

Now that we have that out of the way. The plants that like lower light levels can develop some very dense nugs deeper inside the plant where a high light strain would make only tiny little puffs of garbage. I am NOT saying those nugs are going to be as good as those that got more light but the cutoff light intensity is much lower than with the high light strains. Even nugs that really didn't get any direct light are surprisingly dense, just not as frosty and lighter green.

Mimosa is a strain that is low light, and Gorilla Glue is a high light. I can grab a few images later when the lights are on in that room to show the difference.

Went ahead and got the mimosa shot in the dark so i wont space it off later.

Glue larf


Mimosa Larf


Both nugs are by definition larf. The glue though is so fluffy and airy where the mimosa is hard like a real nug.

So with the low light strains your cutoff PAR might be lower around 500 umols. At that level the low light strains can produce nugs that when dry end up around 1-2 grams, have good density and resin content. With a high light strain those nugs wouldn't be fit for bagging as they would be airy / fluffy and weigh nearly nothing, turning into shake in short order unless still wet.

So until you have run a strain it's difficult to figure out what to cut and what to leave aside from it getting direct light or not. I find that lollipopping around day 20 of 12/12 will let you see whats going to be what.

Renfro said:

Went ahead and got the mimosa shot in the dark so i wont space it off later.

Glue larf
View attachment 4433721

Mimosa Larf
View attachment 4433722

Both nugs are by definition larf. The glue though is so fluffy and airy where the mimosa is hard like a real nug.

So with the low light strains your cutoff PAR might be lower around 500 umols. At that level the low light strains can produce nugs that when dry end up around 1-2 grams, have good density and resin content. With a high light strain those nugs wouldn't be fit for bagging as they would be airy / fluffy and weigh nearly nothing, turning into shake in short order unless still wet.

So until you have run a strain it's difficult to figure out what to cut and what to leave aside from it getting direct light or not. I find that lollipopping around day 20 of 12/12 will let you see whats going to be what.

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Yeah one of my major hurdles after having been away from growing for over 30 years is figuring which one or two out of the many many strains to try next.

Back in the day of my 80's outdoor grows I worked with a strain we call "Fir-Pack" which was just a basic Afghan-Pakistan cross. Now there are so many different cross stains with many of the sounding more like a fruit dish than pot it's hard to know where to start (and at 71 don't figure to have forever to work my way through the list).

So (now just on my second indoor grow) I've asked myself what it is that I wish to accomplish in the years ahead.

Just grow enough to keep myself and nephew supplied while trying out various strains.

Keep my grows within parameters that work for (i.e. hydro my be better but soil is what I know because even though I stopped growing pots 30 years ago I have been growing outdoor veggies the whole time).

And make sure to have fun while doing the above.

Can see that I'm staring to ramble as I'm pretty high from smoking a joint off of a Purple Haze bud that I grew in my first grow so will cut this off by thanking you again for the advise.

bsett said:

... Now there are so many different cross stains with many of the sounding more like a fruit dish than pot it's hard to know where to start (and at 71 don't figure to have forever to work my way through the list) ...

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LOL!! Yeah, the names might sound like a dish of fruit or a kids pre-sweetened breakfast cereal ... but when you roll 'em and spark 'em, it still tastes like pot.